Bacon and Cream Cheese…Together?!?
Say no more…
It’s no exaggeration to state that these bacon and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms can quickly become a family tradition in your home too. Since Beth introduced this appetizer into my life, good friends and family will repeatedly request this savory delight. These stuffed mushrooms will go quickly at any gathering.
Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Ingredients and Variations
As in the title, you’ll need the main attraction ingredients, bacon and cream cheese for these stuffed mushrooms. Although any bacon will work, I recommend one that you find crumbles easily, to fit best into the filling. I would suggest leaving the cream cheese out for about an hour to soften prior to mixing the filling. Though the bacon and cream cheese are highlights, do not
disregard the sautéed onions which add in tons of flavor! These will still turn out well without the sautéed step, however, it is worth the extra time to do so. A few variations to try are substituting Italian Sausage for the bacon or halved mini sweet peppers for the mushrooms.
The Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Prep
This recipe for the bacon and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms can be prepared at various stages ahead of time. For example, you can make the bacon and sauté the onions ahead of time and set aside. You could prepare the entire filling ahead of time and then refrigerate prior to stuffing the mushrooms. Or clean and de-stem the mushrooms and fill them with the prepped filling, and refrigerate in a pyrex or glass baking dish, ready to put in the oven.
Serve these Stuffed Mushrooms with….
This appetizer needs no accompaniment, however, served before or with a steak dinner works nicely. Try this Grilled Flank Steak and Chimichurri Sauce! The mushrooms are filling, so if you have a heavy appetizer event at a friend’s or are planning to have a few hours between happy hour and a meal, this appetizer would be an excellent choice.
Tips for Making the Best Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Use real bacon (not pre-purchased bits).
- Baby Bella or white mushrooms will work, and if you can find a container with mostly uniform-sized mushrooms, that is ideal. They will cook at the same rate which makes things easier.
- Sauté those onions! Better flavor and texture overall.
- When cooking, make sure to wait for juices from the mushrooms to be visible in your pan and when there is a slight toasting on top of the cream cheese filling for best results.
- Serve these before or even with a grilled steak, such as this Grilled Balsamic Flank Steak.
- If you love mushrooms, you may also love these Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms.
- A few of our other favorite hearty appetizers include this Bean Bruschetta and Captain Ric’s Marinated Party Shrimp
Bacon & Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Savory and crowd pleasing appetizer
Ingredients
- Large package whole mushrooms (White or Baby Bella)
- 1 package cream cheese, softened
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 package bacon
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- Dried parsley for color
Instructions
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge ahead of time so it’s easier to stir the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Chop the onion and sauté in olive oil until soft. While the onion is cooking, start on step 4 and 5.
- Separately cook the bacon to desired doneness, then chop or tear into small pieces.
- Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stems and brush the outside with a mushroom brush clean. If you don’t have a mushroom brush, use a paper towel to brush off any unwanted earthly flavors (AKA dirt!)
- When the bacon and onion are prepared, mix the cream cheese, bacon, and red onion together in a bowl. Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste.
- Using a spoon, stuff the mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture, and place them into an un-greased Pyrex baking dish. I pile it over and above the mushroom top with a little extra, but fill as desired. When all mushrooms are ready, put the dish in the oven. I look for the mushrooms to start releasing the liquidity of the mushrooms into the pan (brown juices in the bottom of the pan), usually about 20 -25 minutes. I do like them to look a little browned on top. If needed, you could broil for a quick minute just to brown them on top.
Notes
- Use real bacon (not pre-purchased bits).
- Baby bella or white mushrooms will work, and if you can find a container with mushrooms of mostly uniform size, that is ideal. They will cook at the same rate which makes things easier.
- Sauté those onions! Better flavor and texture overall.
- When cooking, make sure to wait for juices from mushroom to be visible in your pan and when there is a slight toasting on top of the cream cheese filling for best results.
- Substitutions worth trying: Italian sausage instead of bacon and mini sweet peppers halved instead of mushrooms.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
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